Kingdom Hearts Catalyst
by Jarin Renshoga Ryu
Summary: 20 years after Sora and Riku defeated Xemnas, the war against darkness seemed one sided with the light. But all of a sudden, the keyblade heroes have fallen into darkness. Now that Aqua has returned, it's up to her to find and train the next generation of keyblade heroes, but with a new evil brewing, and Xehanort no where to be found, could it already be too late?
1. Chapter 1: Twilight Town

"You've heard about it, haven't you? The story about the _X_ -Blade? To be completely honest, I myself don't even remember all the details. But I do remember hearing the story of the chaos that it brought along the land. The people that it hurt. It's not exactly something to smile at. Heh, to be completely honest, just thinking about it gets me all riled up. I can never truly say that I was there but…I can say that I stopped it from happening again. But what am I telling this to you for? You already know what happened in the _X_ -Blade war, don't you?"

 ***THUD***

"Ow!" Shouted the voice of a young man. On the ground of a small wooden room was a young man dressed in a plain white t-shirt and blue shorts. His skin was a light chocolate color, and his hair a frostbitten white, swaying backwards and to the left side a bit. As he sat up and rubbed his aching head, he opened his soft green eyes, looking up at the ceiling.

"It's that voice again..." he sighed softly and placed his arms in his lap. "Why do I keep hearing that voice? What does it mean? Heh, am I just going crazy?" he asked himself before he sighed. He looked over his room. There wasn't much to be impressed by. In the corner was his bed, and on the opposite corner, beside his door, was a desk that held books for school, a lamp, and a toy Moogle. He chuckled at the toy before standing to his feet, walking over to the small Moogle plush toy. "Heh…I still have to hold onto this. At least until I can return it." He looked over the other areas of his room, seeing nothing but empty space, except for a window beside his bed. Slowly walking to his bed, he stared at the moon as it stood above his home, a smile across his face. "There's a legend that the moon once turned into a giant heart 20 years ago. 2 years before I was born…" he chuckled a bit. "Spooky. But still…that's just a legend." He yawned before falling back into his bed, closing his eyes again. He had a long day ahead of him.

-The Next Morning-

Walking out of his house, the young man stretched his body and let the rays of the sun bathe his skin. He wore a pair of baggy cargo shorts and an open, red, short-sleeved jacket. Beneath this jacket was a black shirt with a strange cross sigil along the chest area. His shoes were red, and adorning his right wrist was a small black band. He took a deep breath and smiled as he looked along his city.

"Man…this place never gets old." He said to himself as he walked along the hill of his home, Twilight Town. The young teenage man walked down the hill that led to the center of the small town. On the upper side of the hill was the Tram Station that went to another section of the city. And on the lower quarter was the marketplace. However, something was different today.

As he walked past the nearly always open garage at the midsection of the hill, ne noticed that not only was it closed, but no one was there to greet him or anyone else like normal.

"Huh? Where'd they go?" the young man asked himself as he looked around. "Could they have just disappeared? Nah, that's ridiculous…so then…where are they?" As he walked further down the hill, he noticed the job application board that was as normally lit with its neon lights. He went over to the board, only to see that all the jobs were taken. Delivery, cargo movement, entertainment. It was all taken up. "That's weird...If everything's taken, then where is everybody?" he asked. He snapped his fingers. "I got it! The Struggle Arena!" he shouted before he headed down the hill.

Once he was down however, he was only met with disappointment. Below the hill was nothing but an empty Struggle Arena. He sighed and crossed his arms. "Wow…nothing here too?" he asked himself, looking around the empty arena. He walked over to one of the struggle bats, picking one up before he smiled. "Heh…Never won in a match before…I bet it feels good to hold one of these and know you defeated someone." He soon tossed the struggle bat away before crossing his arms. "This is…this is strange…where is everyone? Why is everyone gone?" he sighed softly before looking up into the sky. It was there that he noticed something happening. A distortion started to appear in the air.

"What the-?!" before he could finish, the air slowly started to open up. A large black hole appeared, pushing out a small stream of darkness. The young man watched as a figure fell through the darkness, landing softly onto the Struggle Arena. "Who are you? Do you know what happened to the people here?!" the young man asked as he stared at the figure. Their own clothing was strange. A simple black coat, yet despite an opening in their hood, their face was completely sealed. "Um…well, do you know anything about Twilight Town?" the young man asked again. "And how did you get here? Was that a portal you walked through? Can you answer me?!"

He was met with only silence. The young man sighed before he looked around. "I guess not…" he then looked back to the cloaked figure. "Well, my name's Kenji, but everyone usually gets that confused with Genji. What's your name?" There was still silence. Kenji couldn't even hear the sound of the wind blowing his soft white hair. Soon, the figure raised one hand, before a weapon flashed into view. It was a lance. Kenji gasped and jumped back. "Whoa whoa! Okay, first off, how did you do that?! Second, I don't wanna fight!" the figure spun the lance around his hand before swiping it to his side before more and more lances started twirling around him. He grabbed another lance with his free hand before holding them both to his sides, the remaining lances flowing behind him like wings.

Kenji slowly started to step back before the cloaked figure aimed one lance at him. Before he could get a word in, the figure ran at him, spears following. So, he did the only thing he knew was smart. He ran in the other direction. Kenji panted as he ran into the tunnel beneath Twilight Town's tram sight. Once inside, he started snaking his way through the tunnel region, narrowly escaping the razor sharp edges of the lances that nearly slashed at him.

"Aaaagh!" Kenji screamed as he ran through the tunnels, trying his hardest not to end up shredded. Once he came out of the other side of the tunnels, he was in an alleyway. He looked to his sides before smiling. "Tram sight! I gotta lose this guy!" he shouted. He looked back only to gasp and duck, avoiding a lance that struck to the wall in front of him. Kenji took off, running through the alleyway before he came back up the hill where he lived. He looked behind him, only to see that the cloaked figure had vanished. But he could still hear the swirling wind of the lances. He looked ahead only to see the figure land on the hill, lances in hand. Kenji gasped before he turned and ran down the hill, the figure following him. Instead of heading back to the Struggle Arena, he headed to the Tram Market Section, running into the large open plaza.

Kenji passed by the second job application board, only to see that it too was already taken up, not that he wanted a job at the moment. Instead, he ran past the billboard and across the bridge. Covering the plaza was a large wall, and in the center of this wall was a hole that led to a nearby forest. However, Kenji would never make it. Instead, his path would be blocked by lances covering the hole, getting him to stop in his tracks as he turned around. The figure was slowly walking towards him, spinning the lances in his hand. Kenji slowly walked back, hitting the wall as he watched the hooded figure come closer, and closer.

"Stop…Please…" Kenji pleaded, feeling truly scared more now than ever. The figure raised one lance, and dashed forward. Kenji gasped and closed his eyes, raising his hands. That was when he heard the same voice from before.

" _Don't be afraid. You can fight it."_ The voice said, getting Kenji to open his eyes. _"Don't let your fear control you. Overcome your fear, and fight back. Look deep into your heart, and grasp the light that rests within. Grasp that light, and use your strength. Use the Keyblade."_ A bright flash of light covered Kenji's hand before the cloaked figure swung his lance down. However, instead of striking Kenji, he struck a blade. Once the light died down, Kenji looked down at his hand to see that he was holding some strange blade. It looked more like a gear instead of an actual blade.

"What?! What is this?!" Kenji asked as he held the blade tight. It seemed to radiate with him. Almost as if talking to him. Softly, Kenji started to relax. "Key…blade…" he whispered before shaking his head. He pushed the coated figure off of him, holding his Keyblade close. Kenji charged and roared, reeling the blade back before he swiped. The coated figure jumped up to avoid being struck down, landing on the roof of a nearby low building. "Alright! Talk! Who are you?! And why are you attacking me?!" he shouted. The figure still said nothing, angering Kenji to no end. However, it held out its arms, and the weapons disappeared, including those that blocked the forest entrance. Kenji watched as the figure turned to walk away, a portal of darkness appearing ahead. "Wait!" Kenji shouted, only for the figure to completely disappear, leaving Kenji to himself, sighing softly. "…who was that? And…why did he come after me?"

He looked down at his hand, seeing the strange Keyblade that he wielded. "…and how did I get this? What…what even is this? Is this…a Keyblade?" Before he could answer, he was suddenly struck with a deep feeling of sleep. His Keyblade disappeared from his hands, making Kenji groan before he fell to the ground, slowly fading into slumber.

In his sleep, Kenji seemed to fall through the floor. He gasped as the floor was suddenly replaced with the ocean. Struggling to move, he found that he could do nothing but fall to the bottom, as if gravity worked the same in the sea. He panicked, but slowly started to calm down.

"I…I can breathe?" he asked, soon lost in the darkness of the ocean. That was, until he came to the bottom. Kenji soon landed on the ocean floor, looking around the empty sea. "What…what happened?" he asked. He looked down at the sand of the ocean floor, only to be blinded by an amazing light. The ocean floor began peeling away before revealing a large pillar, with a portrait of Kenji asleep on the pillar. "What? Is…is that…me?" he asked himself. The round pillar also housed empty slots around his sleeping frame, making him wonder just where he was. He looked around a bit, before placing his hand on his chest. "This is…" he knew exactly where he was now. "This place…this is my heart."


	2. Chapter 2: Station of Serenity

' _20 years ago, the power of light triumphed over the nothingness and darkness that attempted to overtake the world. Two Self-Taught Keyblade Masters banished the leader of a powerful group from the world with the strength of the light in their hearts. These two legends went on to become official Keyblade Masters later on, and once again stopped a great darkness from rising up into the lands. But somehow, they were banished into the darkness itself. After these two legends fell, the darkness targeted and engulfed the remaining Keyblade users. And yet, the light didn't surrender. It searched for a new keyblade wielder. Someone who's heart had a strong enough light to be worthy of wielding its power for good. Finally, that wielder, along with a few others, have finally been found.'_

-Station of Serenity-

"How…how is this even possible?" Kenji asked as he turned his head to get a good look of his surroundings. "I've never been here…but…I know this is my heart…My heart. This, this doesn't make any sense." He asked as he stared at the large portrait. Alongside the sleeping painted figure that was Kenji was a spherical design. The lining around the edges of the pillar held small spheres designed to circle the pillars, each holding the symbol 'Xi' within their spherical spaces. In the center of the portrait were three large open circles, all of them completely empty.

"How did I get here? How do I get out? Who was that creep attacking me earlier?" Kenji asked, crossing his arms. He looked up into the abyss, almost scared that this world would flip upside down and plummet into the darkness of the sky. "Gah…so many questions to ask…but I won't get anywhere just standing here. I gotta find a way out of here…but…" He looked around again, out into the darkness that radiated everywhere except for the light beneath his feet. "…Where do I actually look to get out of here?"

It was then that three items suddenly burst into view. Kenji gasped as the items slowly lowered themselves, floating just above the pillar along his feet. The silver light that radiated from the pillar nearly blinded him, but he was able to adjust his eyes to stare at the items. Then, he heard the voice again.

' _There you are. I was wondering if I'd get through to you again.'_ Kenji looked around the darkness. The voice was so silent, almost as if it were a ghost. As if he was just imagining it. But somehow, against the deafening static of the darkness, he was able to make out the soft voice.

"Who…who are you?" he asked softly, trying to look anywhere through the darkness that would allow him to see who exactly was talking to him.

' _You've been chosen by the Keyblade.'_ The mysterious weapon from earlier suddenly phased into Kenji's hand. He jumped slightly and held the gear-like keyblade.

"The…Keyblade? Hey! What exactly is this thing?!" Kenji shouted into the darkness. "Where am I?! What is this Keyblade?! Why did it choose me?!"

' _The light summoned the Keyblade from within your heart. But it's up to you to decide how you use it.'_ The voice echoed through his head again. Kenji looked ahead to the three items that floated above. They were all strange somehow. A sword, a shield, and a staff. Figuring that he wouldn't get any other conversation, Kenji walked forward. The items were strange. There was a design on all of them, a tri-spherical design. Like a large head with two small circular ears.

Kenji gulped softly before he stopped in the center between the three items. He looked between them before placing his hands on his hips. "…What are these?" he asked. Kenji walked over to the shield and gripped it, holding it up a bit. "This shield…it feels like it's almost invincible…" he said to himself. Kenji slowly let go of the shield, watching it float back into place before he went over to the staff. Grabbing onto it, Kenji held the staff in both hands. "Heh…I feel a lot smarter with this. Maybe it's a teacher's staff or something." After chuckling at his joke, Kenji placed the staff back into the air, which started to float again.

Kenji soon looked to the sword, walking over to the blade. He extended his hand, grabbing the large sword's hilt with his right hand, holding the blade's flat end with the other. For a while, he simply stared at the sword in his hands. "This lade feels…so strong. Like it could cut down anything." Kenji looked up at the other two objects before raising the sword slightly. "Um…I've chosen! Can you hear me?!" he shouted into the abyss. The sword soon dissolved into light.

Kenji clenched his hand where the sword once was before looking to the shield and staff. Soon after, they also vanished.

' _You've chosen strength over knowledge and stability. You're just like he was.'_ The voice echoed again. Kenji continued to look around before he looked down to his hand. The keyblade from earlier reformed into his hand, getting him to gasp. _'If strength is what you choose to guide the way, then never let yourself be bested by a stronger power from the darkness.'_

Kenji turned around to see a few black voids forming on the pillar. Soon, the voids started to take shape. Small creatures of darkness started to sprout from the voids, outnumbering Kenji 20 to 1. The young man stepped back, stopping once he got to the edge of the pillar. He looked behind him to see the darkness below.

' _There will be times when you have to fight. To protect yourself and your heart from the darkness that wants to snuff you out. Never forget that your light will always be stronger than the darkness. You just have to use that light to protect yourself. And to protect those who can't fight the darkness within their own hearts. The shadows you see here are a base manifestation of the darkness. You can beat them. Just believe.'_

Kenji looked back to the shadows before him, gulping before he readied the keyblade in his right hand. "Tch…Alright. Bring it!" he shouted as he ran at the shadows. The small creatures of darkness made their way over to Kenji, who ran forward, his left hand held protectively over his chest, while his right hand and keyblade were pulled along behind him. Kenji spun his body with a slight jump, and slammed the keyblade down into one of the shadows, the creature turning into a black mist after the strike.

' _There will be more and more dangerous enemies to battle in the future.'_ The voice spoke as Kenji swiped his keyblade through the air, taking out more heartless. He grabbed the blade with both hands and spun on his feet before swinging again, striking another heartless down with his keyblade. _'But if you keep your light strong, you can overcome anything.'_ Kenji jumped into the air and slammed the keyblade down into the last heartless that showed itself. Once they were gone, Kenji's keyblade disappeared. To his side was a door that appeared in a flash of light.

"This must be the way out…I hope." Kenji said to himself as he walked to the door. "There's a strange feeling coming from the other side of this door…" he gulped softly. "Once I pass through here, there's no going back…not that I have anything to go back to." He looked behind himself and saw nothing but the darkness and the pillar that he stood on. Sighing to no one, Kenji looked back to the door. He took a deep breath, and walked through the door.

On the other side of the door was an even stranger sight. There was another pillar in the distance, and a trail of light that led to it. Kenji took slow steps, constantly looking down to make sure that the small road beneath him wouldn't fall.

' _The fear in your heart only grows when you allow it to.'_ The voice spoke to Kenji. _'Don't let that fear control you. If you do, it will push you to give in to the darkness.'_ As these words radiated through Kenji's mind, he looked forward. He took a deep breath, then started to run. Pushing his fears deep into his heart, Kenji ran through the curving road of light, heading to the pillar. Once there, he looked around, seeing nothing but the darkness again.

"Okay. What do I do from here?!" He shouted into the open space. However, he got no answer back. Instead, he looked down to see his shadow slowly extend. Kenji suddenly fell to his knees and gripped his chest with his left hand, his right hand pressing against the pillar to keep him up. "W-What...? What's happening to me?" he asked. He felt like his heart was ripping itself out of his chest. He looked to his shadow, which slowly started pull itself off of its flat 2D norm, and became a full standing figure in front of him. However, the shadow soon started to mold and shape itself into something different.

Kenji slowly stood up, the pain in his chest no longer there as he looked at the figure. It was…strange to say the least. It didn't look like him at all. In fact, he didn't even recognize the figure. They had a strange armor, completely black, and a mask that stretched into a helmet. Whether it was the darkness or the mask itself, Kenji had no chance of seeing the face of the new figure.

"What the…?" He asked himself only to see the figure extend its hand to the side. "Not this time." Kenji remarked, already getting used to knowing what that meant. He looked down to his own hand, and summoned his keyblade, pulling his right hand back as his left hand fell to his side, the left side of his body slightly positioned forward. However, what he saw next shocked him.

The figure summoned its own keyblade, making Kenji widen his eyes. It was the same as his. Admittedly the key was completely black, with barely a few white strains here and there, but with the design, it was the complete same. Both looked more like strange gears than actual blades.

"That's-!" before Kenji had time to remark any further, the figure suddenly pulled its arm back, keyblade lifted into the air. Seconds later, it dashed forward. Kenji gasped and raised his own keyblade as the figure slammed his blade down, Kenji having to use both hands to hold his own keyblade up from the extreme force. He looked down at his feet, recognizing his shadow was no longer there. "Who are you?!" he shouted, pushing the figure back.

' _The light will always guide your way. But be careful.'_ The voice said, returning to Kenji's ears. He rushed forward and clashed keyblades with the shadowy figure, who didn't seem to be having much trouble keeping Kenji back. _'Where there is light, there is always darkness. The closer you are to the light, the stronger your shadow becomes.'_ Kenji growled and knocked the figure's keyblade aside, before he slashed across the shadow's midsection. At first, it seemed like he had gotten a clear hit, as the shadow had frozen. However, Kenji looked behind him to see that the shadow had merely moved so fast that it created an afterimage, and appeared behind him, swinging its keyblade before it knocked Kenji across the pillar.

Kenji slid across the pillar, stabbing his keyblade into its side just as he fell off of the edge. He panted and looked down at the darkness beneath him.

' _Your shadow will always try and stop you from fighting the darkness. But you have to be strong enough to overcome its influence.'_ Kenji looked up to see the shadow standing above him. It raised its keyblade, ready to strike. _'If you believe in the light, and believe in your heart-'_ Kenji growled before he pulled himself up. He landed on the edge of the pillar before jumping high, higher than he ever before. _'-then I know, without a doubt-'_ Kenji suddenly dashed down, spinning his body before he slashed the figure, this time nailing it hard enough to knock it into the abyss below. _'-You'll always come out on top.'_

As the figure fell into the abyss, Kenji walked over to the edge of the pillar, watching it soon disappear into the dark mist below. He sighed again as his keyblade dissipated again. "Well…at least that takes care of that. Now how do I get out of here?" he asked. Behind Kenji, a large hand of darkness shot up from the abyss. Kenji widened his eyes when he felt the hand grab him from behind. "What!?" he shouted, struggling within the hand before he was suddenly yanked off of the edge of the pillar.

Kenji continued to struggle as he was pulled into the darkness below, his screams suddenly silenced by the deafening white noise of the darkness.

' _Don't be afraid. If you believe in the light, you'll always come out on top.'_ The voice repeated, just as everything went black.

-Twilight Town-

"Gah!" Kenji suddenly shot up, panting harshly as sweat covered his forehead. He looked around to see that he was exactly where he had passed out. Back in the Market Square, right next to the hole in the wall that led to the forest. "I…I'm back?" he asked himself, slowly standing up. He looked down at his feet to see his shadow was still there. Placing his hand over his heart, he looked around. "Was it…all some weird dream?" Kenji looked down to his right hand, only for the keyblade to appear again. He sighed softly. "No…that was all real…but what does it mean?" he asked

' _Good, you're back.'_ The soft voice said again, much more audible this time around. Kenji looked around, seeing no one still. _'Now that you have the keyblade, the heartless will be drawn to you. You must hurry and escape your world.'_

"Escape my-?! That's it!" Kenji shouted. "What's going on here?!" he tossed the keyblade to the ground. "Who are you?! Why do you keep talking to me?! Why do I have this keyblade!? Why is all of this happening to me?!" Kenji gasped as the keyblade reappeared in his hands.

' _I promise I'll explain all I can later. But right now_ , _you need to move. The heartless are on their way.'_ Kenji looked at the opening in the hall, seeing the same creatures from before appear again. But there were many more this time around. He looked to his keyblade, then back to the shadows.

"But, where do I go?!" Kenji shouted, stepping back from the shadows.

' _Go to the tram station. You can escape from there.'_ The voice told Kenji. A shadow jumped at him, which he slashed into oblivion with his keyblade, before he nodded and took off the other way. Kenji kept his keyblade summoned as he ran through Twilight town, the storm of shadows behind him.

Once Kenji got to the hill, he ran up the concrete path. He looked behind himself to see that the storm of heartless had gotten even bigger. "How?!" he shouted, not worrying about what would happen if he stayed. Instead, he ran even faster, soon coming to the top of the hill. He ran inside of the tram station. The keyblade he held was soon dissipated as he looked around. "Oh come on!" he shouted, looking at the multiple trains that stood out.

Kenji looked behind himself to see that the shadows had made it up the hill, and were entering the tram sight. Reacting quickly, Kenji spotted a strange tram car, that looked more like a mystic train than a normal one. "Tch…this entire day's been weird. Guess I'm choosing this one!" he said as he ran to the tram. The doors opened when he came close, and closed almost immediately when he was inside. Seconds later, the tram slowly started to take off. As it began to pick up speed on the tracks, the shadows could do nothing but watch, unable to chase it down.

Kenji looked out of one of the tram windows, sighing in relief as he went further and further from the train depot. That was when he noticed something. The train wasn't going into any of the other areas of Twilight Town.

"Huh? Where am I going?" he asked himself. He widened his eyes as he soon spotted that he was riding through, well, space. The track connected to empty space as the tram car continued on. Kenji sighed and slumped down in the seat that he had fallen into. "Well, at least it's away from those creatures…Heartless. Was that what they were called?" he asked before he looked to his hand. He watched as the keyblade flashed into existence, getting him to shake his head with a chuckle. "…I guess I can't get rid of you, huh?" he asked, watching the blade fade away again. "What am I even doing? Why is this keyblade interested in me?" he scratched his head and looked back out the window. "Well, I guess I'll find out sooner or later."

-Two Hours Later, The Mysterious Tower-

Kenji hadn't been able to get any sleep. Despite the safe comfort of the seats and the tram car, and the long ride that came with it, his mind was too busy on other things. Mainly what had just happened. This morning seemed so normal. He got out of bed and started his day. Then the keyblade and the heartless. And now he was going somewhere he didn't even know existed. Soon after shaking his head free of his doubts, Kenji looked out the window to see his destination. It was a large tower. Strangely in the center of an island, the tower stood tall. Kenji was almost worried that it would fall over and plummet into the endless Aurora down below.

"Well…I guess this is the place…whatever this place is." Kenji said to himself. Soon he walked over to the door of the tram, opening it before stepping onto the island. He took a few steps before looking back, widening his eyes as he saw the tram take off, the tracks disappearing behind him, leaving him stranded on the island. "…Oh no…" He said to himself as he looked to the tower. "Well…nowhere to go but forward."

Kenji soon entered the tower door, walking up the first set of stairs. Once he got past the door inside, he gasped, looking up the tower. "Holy cow!" he shouted. The inside was huge! It was so much bigger inside than it was outside. He gulped and looked around the inside. There were portals everywhere. Stairs that led to different portals circled the tower. He sighed softly. "This…this is gonna take a while."

After running through what seemed like a hundred portals had been traversed, Kenji finally came to the final door. It looked so much more fancy than normal. "This must be the top…at least, I hope so. I'm tired of all these portals…" He took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open. He took a few steps inside before looking around. "Whoa…This room is so small. Strange." He said softly.

Kenji suddenly widened his eyes before turning around. His keyblade suddenly summoned itself before blocking something. Another keyblade. "What?! Another one?!" Kenji asked before he knocked the keyblade away. That's when he realized, the keyblade itself was flying. Or it had at least been thrown. Where was the user? "Huh?" Kenji turned around, only to see the keyblade thrown again. This time however, it passed him, and to his side appeared its bearer.

Kenji turned once again only to be smacked with the blade. "Gah!" he shouted before skidding across the ground. His keyblade had been knocked aside, disappearing into light. Kenji pushed himself up on his elbows before he saw a strange keyblade aimed at his chest, keeping him from going any further. The keyblade looked skinny, like a strange chakram weapon. The metallic rings were cloaked in a red, fiery like pattern.

Kenji slowly raised his head to look at the user. On the other side of the weapon was a young woman. She had pale skin, amber eyes, and clothing similar to his. She had on an open grey short-sleeved hoodie and a pair of baggy jeans. Her shoes were black combat boots, and beneath her open jacket was a black tank top. Her hair was separated in two long dual ponytails, the hue of lavender adorning her hair. And above all, she looked like she could tear Kenji in two. The new keyblade wielder gulped as he watched the young woman aim her keyblade at his chest.

"State your name." the young woman said, her chakram keyblade still aimed at his chest. Kenji was too scared to answer. The girl growled, her stern look still adorned on her face. "State your name!" she shouted. Kenji squeaked, unable to do anything. "Tch…fine then. If you won't answer-" she raised her keyblade, growling at him. "-Then suffer!"

"Mynx! That's enough!" came another voice. Both the young girl, apparently named Mynx, and Kenji widened their eyes, freezing in place. Mynx groaned before her keyblade turned to light. She stepped back and sighed.

"Sorry…" Mynx apologized as a figure walked out of a door from the adjacent room. A soft chuckle was heard from the figure as she walked over to the two.

"Don't apologize. Your intentions were in the right place." The figure said. Kenji widened his eyes even further as he saw a woman walking towards him. The figure soon stopped before him, bending over and extending her hand to him. "Are you hurt? Can you stand?" Kenji took a moment before he took the woman's hand, slowly standing up to his feet.

"That voice…you're the one who's been talking to me all this time." He said, looking up at the woman who stood above him. The young woman giggled before she smiled softly.

"That's right. I contacted you the moment I felt your light. I'm sure you have some questions, so let's just get the first one out of the way, okay?" she asked before smiling. "My name is Aqua. Welcome to the tower, Keyblade Wielder."


	3. Chapter 3: Mysterious Tower

' _Having taken a dive into his heart, the young keyblade wielder has finally made his way into the tower. Master Yen Sid spent his days here training another legend. Now he and the others are lost to the darkness. The new wielders seem on edge with each other, but I don't doubt that their light can overcome the darkness threatening the worlds. Tomorrow is the day that I start training them the way that my master trained us. I just hope that everything goes well.'_

-The Mysterious Tower; Sorcerer's Loft-

"…Aqua…" Kenji repeated softly as he looked at the cerulean-haired master in front of him. "Aqua…how…how did you find me? Why did you bring me here?" he asked. "What is all this? Why do I have the keyblade?! Why was that freak after me?! Why-!" Before he could go any further, Aqua ruffled Kenji's hair and smiled a bit.

"Whoa there, calm down first. I'll answer your questions, but first I need to introduce you to the others." Aqua looked over to Mynx, motioning for her to come over. The young girl scoffed a bit, arms crossed, before making her way over to the other two. "This is Mynx. She's been here for a few days now. As you saw earlier, she's very good with a keyblade. Though her temper still needs a bit of work."

"H-Hey!" Mynx shouted. "My temper is fine, Master Aqua! I can control my temper, no problem!"

"Then why did you attack an innocent boy the moment he walked through the door?" Aqua teased. She wasn't really mad, but it was a bit cute to see Mynx all flushed. Mynx wanted to retort, but had nothing to say. She huffed and crossed her arms.

"Tch…" was all that she could say. "Sorry. I overreacted…"

"Wow." Kenji said softly. "Judging from the entrance, I didn't really think you were the type to apologize for anything." He said. Kenji suddenly went stiff as Mynx summoned her keyblade, pointing the metallic end at the new wielder. The scariest thing was that she didn't even say anything. "R-right. I got it. Your apology is accepted." Kenji quickly responded, gulping down what little air remained in his mouth. Mynx gave a sadistic smirk before releasing her keyblade, which faded back into light.

"That's what I thought." Mynx hissed out to Kenji, who was breaking into a sweat. He could swear that he saw fangs and horns appear onto Mynx's figure. Aqua gave a soft sigh, followed by a giggle.

"I guess it'll take some time for you to get situated with one another." She said before looking over to the door. "It's safe to come in now, Luna. Don't be shy."

"Luna?" Kenji raised a brow. Who else was this woman trying to hide from him? And what could they possibly be shy about? He looked over to Mynx, which instantly answered his question.

After a few seconds, the adjacent door slowly opened. Mynx had her arms crossed as she waited, while Aqua gave a warm smile to welcome the newest addition to the room. Kenji raised a brow, then widened his eyes. Out of the room came a young girl about his age. She wore an even stranger attire than Mynx did. A type of mix between a royal-looking dress, and sturdy armor. Her hair was a deep shade of burgundy-rose, which flowed down just behind her shoulders, multiple strands standing up a bit on each side. A light pink hairband attached itself to the top of her head, a bow tied on the left side. Her soft skin was almost as bright as the sunset deep in the abyssal space surrounding the Mysterious Tower. Kenji found himself to be lost in her soft, dark malachite eyes.

Adorning her body was the dress/armor, different shades of pink, purple, and even grey mixed in. The dress hugged her body a bit, stopping a few inches below her thighs, and right where the soft material ended, metal grieves hugged her legs, opened on the inside of her legs, tied down with brown straps crossing around each leg. Her shoes were almost the exact same as Aqua's. Adorning her wrists were metal arm bands that covered about half of her forearm.

Finally came the metallic designs. On each part of her dress, there was a metallic cross, though instead of four rods intersecting, there was a large circle in the center of the cross, giving it an even more royal look. Luna, as the girl was named, smiled softly at everyone.

"Luna, meet the newest keyblade wielder. He just showed up not too long ago. Isn't that right-…" It was then that the awkward silence kicked in. Aqua wasn't able to continue any further as she didn't get the young man's name. Had he answered Mynx's question from earlier, they'd know. Feeling eyes upon him, Kenji shook himself out of his stupor with a blush and cleared his throat.

"Kenji. Just, Kenji." He said to everyone, yet his eyes never left Luna. The warm smile on her face betrayed the fighter that they would see her as. "You must be Luna. You're not gonna stab me with a keyblade-thing if I don't say it loud enough, are you?" Mynx growled at that, to which Kenji flinched softly. Luna chuckled softly, but shook her head, much to Kenji's relief. Aqua smiled at the trio before she walked behind the desk.

"Now that we've all been acquainted-" Aqua started before she sat in the chair behind the desk, turning to the three, who all stood in front of her desk, Kenji directly in front of her, Luna to his right, and Mynx to his left. "It's time that I answer your questions, Kenji. Gather your thoughts, then ask away." She said, locking her fingers together.

Kenji hesitated, then looked to his hand. He had a well of questions filling up inside of his head. It was almost impossible to simply pick which one to start with out of the maelstrom of words. Eventually, he looked back up at Aqua, and placed his hand by his side.

"This thing, this…keyblade. What is it?" Kenji asked, to which Aqua closed her eyes.

"Where to start…" Aqua was reaching through her own mind to find out how to ease Kenji into the thought of training with a keyblade, not wanting to scare him. "Think of it…as your own heart." She explained, to which she looked to Mynx and Luna. Both girls held out one of their hands, and summoned their keyblades. Kenji looked between the two. Whereas Mynx's Keyblade looked extremely metallic and sharp, Luna's keyblade looked a bit strange. Like a colorful heart, but also a deck of playing cards. And yet, there was also the impression of nature, a maze maybe? "When I first gained the power to control the keyblade, my master told me that it would always be by my side." Aqua raised her own hand, and summoned Stormfall, her keyblade.

"Whoa…" Kenji said in awe, looking between the three keyblades. Mynx and Luna dropped their arms, keyblade in hand, as Aqua dissipated hers.

"The keyblade is given to those with hearts strong enough to carry the light of themselves, and those around them." Aqua explained, placing her arms on the desk in front of her. Kenji nodded slowly. "Kenji, the world is in an ongoing war against the darkness. There has always been darkness. It's always threatened to swallow everything, from the worlds, to the light itself." Aqua looked to Kenji and slowly sat up a bit. "The light examined your heart, and deemed you worthy to hold the keyblade. That means that your light is strong enough to fight off the darkness. Just like ours." Mynx and Luna both dissipated their own keyblades, looking to Aqua, who reached beneath the desk.

Aqua pulled out a large book, turning it to Kenji. "Master Yen Sid kept every recorded detail about the light and war we fight in this book. It even dates back to the darkness long ago." Aqua tapped the book lightly, and watched as it slowly opened, flipping through hundreds, maybe even thousands of pages. Eventually the book stopped itself on a page that had the information of all currently known keyblades.

"Whoa…there are so many." Kenji said, moving up to get a better view of the keyblades on the pages. They came in all different shapes and sizes. Some were incredibly small, others were extremely long. And then there were those that were a standard size. The page flipped forward a bit, stopping at the keyblade that Luna had wielded. "It says it's named…Lady Luck. What a strange name." he said to the group. Luna nodded and held her hands behind her back.

"I happen to like it. Luck has seemed to be on my side since I found I could use the keyblade." Luna explained before the book started flipping through pages again. Kenji looked back to the book, watching as the pages passed by one another until it stopped at another keyblade. This time it was the one that Mynx wielded.

"Hmm…Bond of Flame. Well that definitely explains your-"

"I swear if you say 'Fiery Personality' or some stupid thing like that, I'll burn you to a crisp." Mynx hissed out to Kenji, who cleared his throat and nodded.

"Right. You're just a ray of sunshine aren't you?" he asked sarcastically before Aqua laughed softly at the trio.

"That reminds me." Aqua started. "Kenji, I haven't seen your keyblade yet. Would you mind showing it to me and Luna?" Luna was also interested in seeing the new keyblade. Mynx crossed her arms, having already seen it.

"It's nothing special." She stated. "Mine looks cooler anyway. Besides, it doesn't even look like he can fight." She told the two. Luna sighed softly.

"Still not much of a people person. I suppose Mynx will never change. Especially not after a day." Luna teased, getting Mynx to groan before she crossed her arms. Aqua decided to stay out of the tease, and looked at Kenji, waiting for him.

"Oh, right." Kenji said. He looked at his hand, then slowly extended it, before his keyblade appeared. Aqua's eyes widened and she gasped before suddenly jumping out of her seat, summoning Stormfall, and pointing her keyblade at Kenji. "Whoa whoa!" Kenji shouted, dropping his keyblade and putting his hands in the air. Aqua was breathing heavily, but slowly she returned to normal, lowering her blade. All three keyblade users were shocked, and didn't know what just happened.

"I'm sorry…I know that keyblade myself." Aqua said softly. Kenji knelt down and slowly picked up the blade, holding it in front of himself again. "It's called Void Gear. I'll never forget its name." Kenji looked at Luna and Mynx, both having no idea why Aqua reacted in such a way. The master sighed and sat back down. "That keyblade. It's a keyblade of darkness."

"What?!" All three of them shouted before Void Gear dissipated in a flash of light.

"Well…it was a keyblade of darkness. Its original user was named Vanitas. He was an entity created entirely of darkness. Ventus's darkness to be exact." Aqua explained. Kenji closed his eyes and crossed his arms. Flashbacks about his dive into the heart came back. Visions of the mysterious figure wielding the same keyblade.

"This Vanitas guy. What did he look like?" Kenji asked, sparking Aqua's curiosity.

"Well. He was strange. He wore strange armor made of darkness. The lower half was almost like a cape to be honest. And he wore a mask. It almost looked like a helmet."

"I saw that guy!" Kenji exclaimed, making Mynx and Luna raise their brows.

"You…saw him?" Aqua asked before shaking her head, trying her best to put the impossible off before she ended up worrying herself. "That's not possible. Vanitas doesn't exist anymore. Ventus destroyed him.

"But he matches the guy that you just described! The guy that I saw!" Kenji tried to explain. However, Aqua stood up.

"That's enough!" she shouted. All three of the young individuals suddenly jumped a bit. It was the first time that Aqua had raised her voice. Even Mynx and Luna were a bit shocked. Aqua calmed herself down. "Vanitas made a lot of things rough for the three of us. And even when things seemed bleak, Ventus destroyed his own heart to put Vanitas away." She looked directly into Kenji's eyes, the young man gulping softly. "I saw Ventus after he destroyed his heart. I took care of him when he wasn't even conscious anymore. I know what happened to Vanitas. Because I was there." She took a deep breath and tapped the book again.

Kenji watched as the book stopped on an illustration on Void Gear, telling him everything that it knew. He looked back up to Aqua, then to the floor.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that-"

"It's alright. I understand where you were coming from." Aqua said. "But there's no way that Vanitas is alive. It's impossible. His Darkness was destroyed." Kenji slowly nodded, then summoned Void Gear again.

"Then…who was that person?" He asked himself before Luna decided to clear her throat, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well I for one have had enough of the tension here." She said before she looked at Aqua. "Why don't you tell him the big story you told me, Master Aqua?" Luna finished. Kenji raised a brow at that.

"Master Aqua?"

"That's right, doofus." Mynx insulted. "Master Aqua. Now that you know, that's what you're gonna address her ass. Or I'm gonna knock the sense into you. Then knock it back outta you."

"I'll try to contain my joy…"

Luna couldn't help but laugh at the two, and soon, Aqua joined in. Mynx and Kenji looked at each other, before Kenji slowly started laughing too. Mynx scoffed and looked away, but soon she smiled, and later on, she started laughing along with them. They were happy.

' _That was an entire year ago. They were so young and new. Heh. They didn't even know how to use their keyblades properly. I must say. They've improved really quickly. Faster than we ever did. I'd say they're as strong as we were back then…Terra…Venus…I miss you two…It's that time of year again. They'll be taking the Mark of Mastery Exam soon. Please you two, watch over them.'_


	4. Chapter 4: Mark of Mastery Exam

' _Today's the day. I honestly hoped that it wouldn't have come so fast. I've grown so attached to them. They've been training every day. Luna even got Kenji and Mynx to succeed in meditating together. They've grown so close. They're just like how we used to be. I've watched them train. I've taught them what master Eraqus taught us. In one year they've learned everything that we did. I hope that the exam goes well.'_

-The Mysterious Tower; Open Lawn-

Kenji sighed softly as he sat on the soft grassy lawn that surrounded the Mysterious Tower. He smiled softly, looking at the expanding and unending sunset that expanded along the abyss around the lawn.

"It's been an entire year since I left Twilight Town…" he said to himself before he looked down at his hand. Kenji summoned Void Gear, staring at the keyblade in his hand. Kenji wielded his keyblade in his right hand, while Mynx and Luna wielded theirs in their left hands. He chuckled to himself, watching the eternal sunset in the distance illuminate the space around everything it touched. On Kenji's left shoulder was a pauldron of a silver color, multiple darkening layers overlapping each other so that the brightest layer rested atop the darkening layers. "I can't believe all this stuff…Keyblades, light and darkness…Luna…" Kenji could feel the blush coming back over his face as he thought about his friend. That was, until he was suddenly knocked on the back of the head. "Ow!"

Kenji held his head as he looked up at his assailant, Mynx, who scoffed. On her left shoulder was a pauldron just like Kenji's, albeit hers was a light red hue. "Come on already!" Mynx said to her partner of light. "The Exam starts in 10 minutes. This is what we've been training our butts off for. So you better not cry like a baby right at the end!" Kenji gulped as he listened to Mynx's words. But at least over the year that they had come together, she hadn't been beating on him as much.

"R-right. I get it already." Kenji said as he stood up, looking over to Mynx, chucking a bit. "You should try to lighten up. We've been training a whole year for this. Master Aqua says we're as good as she was back then." He explained, crossing his arms. "If that's true, then we'll ace this test without a doubt. So stop beating on me just because you're worried."

"What was that?" Mynx asked, getting Kenji to jump slightly, losing the confidence that he had a second ago.

"I-I mean, we got this!" he stuttered a bit, getting Mynx to nod and turn towards the tower, away from Kenji.

"That's what I thought." Mynx said, walking towards the tower. "Now let's get going."

"Wait! Mynx!" Kenji extended his arm, making Mynx stop as she blinked and looked back at him. "Um…I was just wondering…Luna…is she…um…is she seeing anybody?" he asked, getting Mynx to raise a brow.

"What kind of idiotic question is that? She sees us every day. You, me, and Master Aqua."

"N-No, I meant-"

"Yeah I know what you meant." Mynx shook her head. "And my question still stands. Kenji, we're the only four people here. And none of us have gone back home since we came here a year ago. Who could she have POSSIBLY seen other than us in that time?!" Mynx threw her hands in the air and walked off, leaving a confused Kenji. Not about her question, but about something else.

"What's her problem? She's a lot tenser than normal…" he said to himself as he looked up at the tower. He took a deep breath and smiled to himself before he ran forward, dashing past Mynx. "Last one in is a puny heartless!"

"Hey! You could at least give me a heads up first!" Mynx shouted. Not being one to simply walk away from a challenge, especially from Kenji, she took off seconds after hearing the challenge being announced.

-The Mysterious Tower; Sorcerer's Loft-

Luna and Aqua were both waiting in the Sorcerer's Loft section of Aqua's Tower. Luna herself looked especially nervous about the whole ordeal.

"Luna, you should relax a bit." Aqua tried to reason with the girl. Luna looked over to Aqua, her back turned towards the adjacent room in the loft. "You've been training for such a long time. I've watched you strain yourself just as hard as those two. You'll do great. Just focus okay?"

"Focus…okay…" Luna took a deep breath, her hands behind her as she nodded to Aqua. "I'll do my best, Master Aqua." Before she could go any further, Luna heard the sound of running on the other side.

"It looks like they're here." Aqua said, getting Luna to nod again.

"They're racing again."

"I wonder who today's winner will be." It was then that they heard a loud thud on the outside of the door.

"Ow!" cried one of the racers before Mynx slowly opened the door, walking triumphantly through. Kenji groaned and walked after her. "You cheat…" he groaned, getting Mynx to snicker.

"You said we had to make it up here. Not how we do it."

"Yeah yeah…" Kenji was about to go on, until he saw Luna, who smiled at the two of them. Luna's pauldron was also on her left shoulder, but it was noticeably skinnier than Kenji's and Mynx's. Her pauldron had a mix of light pink and violet layers, and snaked down to the midsection of her arm, halfway to her elbow. Mynx smacked Kenji's head, getting the young man to yelp before he snapped at her. "What was that for?!"

"We're here to take an exam. Get your head in the game." Mynx scoffed. Luna giggled softly and walked over to Kenji and Mynx. Luna stood between the two, Kenji on her right side, Mynx on her left, as they all looked to their master.

"Well then. Now that everyone's here, it's time that we get to the exam you've been training so hard for." Aqua stated. The other three nodded and looked to each other before they took deep breaths. "Before we start, you three should know something. This exam is not about who is the best at using the keyblade. It's not about who is the strongest, fastest, or most resourceful. This exam is about testing your ability to fight against the darkness. To test your ability to fight alongside the light." Aqua smiled at the three, who were solely focused on the words that she spoke to them. "You are all strong in your aspects. And you all have certain weaknesses. Just like the light itself. You will have two sections of the exam. The first section will test your ability to work as a team."

"Hah! No problem!" Kenji said, looking to Luna. "We're gonna ace this exam!" before he could go any further, he was smacked in the back of his head. "Ow! Why?!" he shouted to Mynx, who shrugged.

"I felt like it."

"Oh you gotta be-"

"That's enough you two." Luna interrupted, getting Kenji and Mynx to groan. "We all have to work together for this test to be successful. Okay?" Kenji and Mynx nodded to each other upon hearing Luna's words, and looked back to Aqua.

"The second part of your exam will pit you three against one another." Aqua finished. "Again, this isn't to test who is better than who. It's easy to get frustrated in the midst of battle. Especially when things don't go how you plan. But remember, no matter what happens, the light will always be by your side. Fight alongside it, and you will always remain in control of the battle." Aqua slowly stood up, walking to the adjacent door in the room. "Are you ready?" she asked.

Luna looked between Kenji and Mynx, before she bowed softly. "Ready."

Mynx crossed her arms, but nodded, a small smile coming up to her lips. "Ready."

Kenji looked down at his hand. "…" He took a deep breath, then clenched his hand into a fist, throwing it forward. "Ready!" he shouted.

Aqua couldn't help but smile at the sheer determination the three held. "Alright. Let's get going then." Aqua opened the door to the adjacent room, allowing the three to go first.

Upon entering the room, Kenji widened his eyes. "Whoa…" Inside of the room was Aqua's old Exam area. Or at least a replica of said area. It was huge, bigger than the island that the tower lied on. "How is this possible?!" Kenji asked, looking around the large room.

"Tch. Master Aqua can do a lot of things. You should pay more attention sometimes." Mynx scoffed, getting Kenji to look back over to her.

"Aren't we supposed to be working together here?" he asked. Mynx said nothing, having been one-uped. And she didn't like it. Before Mynx had the chance to pounce onto Kenji like a rabid animal, Luna got between them.

"Now, now." Luna tried to calm them down. "Let's focus on the test first. You two can settle your quarrels later. Okay?" Mynx and Kenji looked at each other and nodded.

Aqua closed the door after walking through the room, walking over to one of the large chairs that rested at the end of the room. Kenji would be the first to notice something.

'Her keyblade…it's changed.' He thought to himself. The keyblade that Aqua held was no longer Stormfall. Instead, it was a longer, more normal looking Keyblade. It actually looked more like a key than a weapon. But as Kenji found out in his year of training, looks can be deceiving. Aqua stood in front of the seat at the end of the hall, and looked back to the three she was training. She could see how serious they were about passing the exams. She took a deep breath and smiled lightly, and repeated her master's words.

"Today, you have been chosen for the Mark of Mastery. Not one, but three of the Keyblade's chosen stand here today as candidates. But this is neither a competition nor a battle for supremacy. Not a test of wills, but a test of heart. All of you may prevail, or none." She gave a soft giggle and continued. "But I'm sure that after the year of training you've had, I won't see any of you fall short of the mark. I trust you are ready."

"Yes." Both Luna and Mynx stated, standing at attention as they looked upon their master. Kenji looked over at his companions, then to Aqua, before he took a deep breath and did the same. "Yes!" Aqua held her master's keyblade in her hands, and stood back a bit.

"Then let the examination begin!" Aqua held the keyblade up a bit, then tapped it softly with her free hand. Upon doing so, a few orbs of light appeared around the group. Mynx, Luna, and Kenji all summoned Bond of Flame, Lady Luck, and Void Gear.

"Let's go!" Luna shouted.

"Right!" Kenji and Mynx shouted back, each one dashing after their own orb of light. Aqua would pay attention to each of their fighting styles. Luna was like her. She preferred to place her strength in magic. Luna raised her keyblade towards an orb of light and released a ball of fire, which dissipated the ball the moment that it came into contact.

Behind Luna, a second orb quickly made its way over. Before Luna had time to react, Mynx jumped to her side, and swung her keyblade fast enough to destroy the orb before it had time to shake from the force of her blows. Luna looked back, only to see Mynx there, both girls nodding to each other. They got ready as two orbs made their way forward.

"Ready?" Luna asked, getting another nod from Mynx. However, Kenji jumped over the two, Void Gear raised high above his head. He swung the large keyblade down and struck one of the orbs, which violently shook from the impact before dissipating. Kenji spun his body and swung his keyblade again, striking the last orb, the same result coming up. Kenji had swung so hard that a gust of wind appeared after the last strike.

The three split into their own, rushing into different sides of the hall. More orbs of light appeared, and Aqua continued to observe their differences, taking into account how strong they each were in their own aspects. Once the last of the orbs had been dealt with, the three stood beside one another in front of Aqua. Said keyblade master couldn't help but smile at the three.

"One must keep a still heart even in the most trying of circumstances. You all did well. I have faith that you can keep it up for your next trial." Aqua said to the three. Upon hearing those words, Kenji, Luna, and Mynx all separated from one another, giving each other a large amount of room. "Now, Mynx, Luna, Kenji, the three of you will face each other in combat." The three keyblade users summoned their keyblades, staring each other down. "Remember, there are no winners, only truths, for when equal powers clash, their nature is revealed." Luna took a deep breath and pulled her keyblade back, mimicking Aqua's stance. Mynx spun her keyblade in her hand, holding it in a reverse grip, lightly bouncing on her feet to stay mobile. Kenji rolled his shoulders and got into his own, stable stance, unknowingly reminding Aqua of Terra. Aqua hesitated to go any further. These three looked just like she and her companions did. "Begin!"

Kenji was the first to rush in, heading towards Mynx. Luna did the same, rushing towards the quick-paced woman. Mynx gripped her keyblade and got into a defensive stance. Kenji jumped slightly into the air, spinning his body to strike downwards towards Mynx. Mynx was able to block Kenji's strike, only for Luna to swing her keyblade horizontally towards Mynx.

Kenji pushed hard against Mynx's keyblade, before Mynx used her speed to back away just before being hit by Luna's keyblade. She rushed back in towards Luna, swiping at her. Luna swung Lady Luck fast enough to defend herself, having trained to keep up with Mynx's speed in at least reaction time. Kenji ran back at the two, spinning with his keyblade rising. He jumped into the air, stopping himself from spinning midair while raising the blade over his head before he struck the ground between them.

Both Mynx and Luna jumped back to avoid the strike. Where Kenji's blade had touched, a small crack had formed from the impact. Luna raised her keyblade into the air, as Mynx pointed hers towards Kenji.

"Thunder!" Luna shouted.

"Fire!" came Mynx's voice.

Both girls unleashed magic towards Kenji, who jumped back from Luna to avoid the lightning that struck the ground around him. Kenji raised his keyblade to block Mynx's fire, the ball of flame making a small explosion from the impact, barely enough to push Kenji back.

While he was skidding, Luna rushed forward, jumping over Mynx and spinning her keyblade before chilling the air around herself. Luna pointed her keyblade down towards Kenji and released a trail of frost down around him.

Kenji covered his eyes as ice crystals started to form on the ground around him, rising like a chilled fence around him. With Kenji trapped, Luna swung her hand horizontally through the air, getting a reaction from the ice around her target. Kenji looked to the ice that surrounded him, watching as it started to grow. He suddenly jumped into the air, just in time to see the ice suddenly grow around itself, attempting to trap Kenji had he still been there.

Kenji threw his keyblade down into the ice, the blade spinning and striking the ice hard enough to shatter it. He then dashed down and grabbed Void Gear, pulling it out of the ground before striking towards Luna, who raised Lady Luck to defend, but was smacked away from the raw force of the keyblades clashing.

Mynx caught Luna, sliding back a bit before she looked up at Kenji, who soon landed on the ground again. Mynx and Luna both ran Kenji, who got ready for the both of them. Aqua payed attention to how each of the three fought even closer than she did before. Mynx dashed ahead of Luna, rushing behind Kenji. Luna soon raised her blade and swung down toward Kenji. Mynx did the same from behind. Kenji had to bend backwards and raise Void Gear to block both of the keyblades that crossed around each other.

Both Luna and Mynx pressed down against the slowly falling Kenji. Their keyblades stood strong against each other, none of them backing down. After what seemed like an eternity of struggling, Kenji pushed the keyblades back, both Luna and Mynx being pushed back to control their keyblades. However, they used the momentum that Kenji gave them to spin their bodies. Both Luna and Mynx struck Kenji in the back, hard enough to send him flying forward a bit.

"Gah!" Kenji groaned when he hit the ground. He looked back to see Mynx and Luna continuing to fight each other. Slowly, he pulled himself up, pressing his keyblade into the ground to help give him stand. At that moment, something inside of Kenji snapped. Both Luna and Mynx were fighting on, and here he was on the ground. He couldn't help but growl.

Kenji began to feel something strange, and it only grew the more that he watched the two fight. He looked down to his left arm, the one that didn't hold Void Gear. There was a strange dark aura surrounding it, ranging from a dark purple to a midnight black. "What the-?!" Kenji stared at the mysterious aura around his arm, then back to the fight. Mynx used her speed to knock Luna aside, and rushed over towards Kenji. Luna chased after her, while Kenji clenched his fist, dissipating the dark mist around his arm.

Aqua watched as the three continued to fight, getting a good feel for what they strengthened themselves in. After watching the three keyblade wielders for a little longer, Aqua slowly stood up.

"That's enough!" she exclaimed, getting the three to stop. They all walked over to Aqua, Luna to the left, Mynx in the middle, and Kenji to the right. All of them stood at attention as they awaited Aqua's judgement. "Mynx, Luna, Kenji, you all performed commendably. Luna." Both Kenji and Mynx remained where they were, while Luna took a few steps forward.

Luna placed her hands respectfully in front of her, holding one in the other while she bowed respectfully. "In a single year you advanced greatly in the use of magic. Your strong heart and strategic mind allowed you to keep up with the others and set traps to snare them. Your magic prowess will allow you to keep engaging enemies at bay." Aqua stated as she smiled a bit. "Congratulations. You've shown the Mark of Mastery, and have passed the Mark of Mastery Exam." Luna looked down to the metal arm bands that covered her skin. The Mark of Mastery appeared on each of the bands, while Luna tried her best not to bounce in joy.

"Thank you, Master Aqua." Luna said softly, stepping back. Aqua nodded to Luna, and looked to the next keyblade wielder.

"Mynx." Mynx took a deep breath and took a step forward. She kept her hands to her side, and gave a soft bow, while Aqua continued with her analysis. "It seems your temper isn't the only thing quick about you." Aqua said, getting Kenji to snicker. Mynx looked back at her companion, making Kenji immediately cease his chuckling. "Your speed is almost completely unmatched, Mynx. It keeps you on the offensive. With speed like yours, you're able to spot and react to enemies more quickly than your allies and with that increase in reaction times, comes the ability to always watch the backs of both you and your friends." Aqua gave a small giggle. "Congratulations. You've shown the Mark of Master, and have passed the Mark of Mastery Exam." The hair barrettes that kept Mynx's hair in her dual tails were covered with the Mark of Mastery, and the back of her hoodie was marked the same.

"Heh…thank you, Master." Mynx said as she stood back straight and walked back to her companions. Kenji looked over to Mynx and Luna, and gave them both a thumbs up.

"See? Told you we'd make it!" he said, getting a small smile out of Mynx, and a nod from Luna. Aqua sighed to herself, and looked to her last student.

"Kenji." The chocolate-skinned boy looked over to Aqua before he took a step forward. Kenji placed a hand in front of his chest respectfully and bowed, waiting for Aqua's analysis on him. "You've focused your light on the strength you possess. Instead of focusing on speed or magic, your raw power is the center of your focus. It helps you push back any attackers that get to close, and force enemies to think twice before attacking closely. I have no doubt that you'll be the finishing blow for many servants of the darkness, especially if you work together well with your team."

Kenji chuckled a bit and stood back up straight, waiting for the satisfaction of gaining the title he and the others had worked so hard for. However, the only thing he received was silence, getting him to tilt his head. Kenji looked back at Mynx and Luna, who were just as confused as he was, before he looked back to his master. Aqua took a deep breath and continued.

"However, I'm afraid that you haven't shown the Mark of Mastery." She said, getting a shocked reaction from all three keyblade wielders. Kenji stood wide-eyed in front of Aqua, who looked at his arm. "Kenji, you fought extremely well. You used what tactics you had at your disposal to stand strong against Mynx and Luna. However, when you started to fall behind, your anger surfaced. The want that you had to keep up with Luna and Mynx tapped into the darkness within you, and you couldn't keep it in check." Aqua walked down the small steps to Kenji, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're strong, Kenji. But you can't be afraid of losing. For that fear leads to the want of power. And that want beckons the darkness, as it did today. I'm sorry, but for the time being, you aren't capable of holding the Mark of Mastery, and have not passed the Mark of Mastery Exam." Aqua smiled softly and placed her hand upon Kenji's head, ruffling his frostbitten hair. "But there is always next year. And with enough training, I'm confident that you can pass the exam then."

Aqua pulled her hand from Kenji's hair and walked back up the small stairs, turning to face her students. Kenji took a step back, lining himself up with the others. Mynx and Luna looked over worryingly to their companion, before they all turned their attention to Aqua again.

"Mynx, Luna, as the new Keyblade Masters, you are entitled to certain knowledge. Kenji, I highly recommend that you start training right away. The more experience that you have, the greater the chances that you'll pass the next exam. And remember. No matter what the situation, the light will always be by your side. As will your allies. That is all." All three keyblade wielders bowed respectfully to Aqua, who bowed back and walked past the trio. Feeling that they needed to speak to one another, Aqua left the room, returning to the Sorcerer's Loft. Luna looked over to Kenji, noticing that his hands were clenched tightly into fists.

"Hey…Kenji…" Luna started. Mynx walked over to her comrade as well, sensing now wasn't the time to be sarcastic. "…It's okay, Kenji." Luna continued, placing a hand on his pauldron-covered shoulder. "You did really well. You fought just as hard as we did."

"Yeah…sorry…you really gave it your all." Mynx told him. Kenji looked down to his hand, opening it to stare at his palm.

"…The darkness…where did it come from?" he asked, disappointment lacing his words. Mynx and Luna looked to each other, trying to figure out something that would help Kenji, but they couldn't say anything. After a few moments, Kenji sighed. "I…I need to be alone guys." He said before smiling to the both of them. "Congrats on becoming masters. The two of you deserve it with how hard you've been training." With that, Kenji turned, and walked off. Luna and Mynx watched him go, before looking to one another, hearing the door to the Sorcerer's Loft open and close.

-The Mysterious Tower; Sorcerer's Loft-

Aqua sat behind her desk, sighing softly as she pulled something out of an open drawer in the desk. She stared at the light blue Wayfinder in her hand. A small smile appeared on her face. Aqua looked up to see Kenji exit the adjacent room, closing the door before he bowed to Aqua.

"Master. I'll be outside training if anyone needs me." He said softly. The disappointment was obvious in his voice, and yet he still tried to put it off. Aqua gave a soft nod to Kenji.

"Alright. Keep a clear heart. The light will always be there to guide you, Kenji." She told him, getting a nod and a respectful bow from her student.

"Thank you, Master." Kenji walked out of the Sorcerer's Loft, leaving Aqua to herself. After a few moments, Luna and Mynx exited the adjacent room as well. Both girls went over to Aqua's desk before they took a deep breath. Aqua raised a brow and smiled at her pupils.

"Firstly, congratulations on becoming Keyblade Masters. Especially after only one year of training. You've been training harder than any Masters before you. I'm proud to be the one who has taught you what you up to this point." Luna smiled softly and nodded, while Mynx bowed softly. Mynx looked to Luna, the two nodding to each other before they stood straight.

"Master Aqua…" steeling her resolve, Luna continued to speak, and asked Aqua something that caught the master off guard. "Please. Give Kenji another chance to become a Keyblade Master.


	5. Chapter 5: Destiny Islands

_After a year of grueling training, Mynx, Kenji, and Luna finally took the Mark of Mastery Exam. They did an amazing job. I can tell that as a team, they'll be nearly unstoppable, even if they haven't realized it yet. Mynx and Luna both passed and became Masters, but Kenji couldn't control the darkness within his heart. When I left them, I could feel the darkness suddenly spike inside of him. Just like it did with Terra. And now, Mynx and Luna have asked me to give Kenji another test. A second chance to prove his worth. Truth be told, I'm scared… I have this odd sense of Déjà vu. The way that things are going now, history will repeat itself. I must do my best to make sure that they fight against the darkness, not accept it. But there's only so much I can do alone. Terra. Ven. Master. If you can hear me, what should I do?_

-The Mysterious Tower; Open Lawn-

"Hyaaah!" Kenji shouted as he swung his keyblade, striking the air as he held on with both hands. He swung the large blade around his body, spinning when necessary as he slammed the blade into the ground, quickly pulling it out to swing in the other direction. He let one hand go of his keyblade, then held it behind his back before suddenly tossing it forward. Void Gear spun violently through the air, only to return to Kenji like a boomerang. The young man caught the keyblade before he tossed it directly above himself, high into the air.

Kenji crouched to one knee, placing a hand on the ground before he jumped up, flipping his body backwards to do multiple reverse somersaults. Kenji caught the keyblade in the air, still flipping back before he headed to the ground. Right before he landed, Kenji straightened himself, and slammed the keyblade down into the grass, creating a shockwave of light around himself that spread out into the starry ocean.

He took deep breaths as he slowly stood to his feet again, looking at Void Gear. He tightened his grip upon the keyblade in his right hand before he looked out into the aurora in the sky.

' _There's darkness in all of us.'_ He thought to himself, his free hand balling up into a fist. _'Why did only my darkness show? Why only me?'_ Kenji took one last deep breath before he looked back onto the land he stood on. He retook his stance before he started training again.

-The Mysterious Tower; Sorcerer's Loft-

"No." Aqua said firmly, looking at her two pupils as she crossed her legs, her hands placed firmly on the desk in front of her. "I'm sorry. I know that Kenji is your companion, your teammate. But the test has already been set in stone." She explained. This in turn got Luna to take a step forward.

"But, Master Aqua, I know Kenji can pass the exam." She tried to reason with her teacher, holding her hands out to emphasize her point. "I know there's darkness inside of him. But didn't you teach us that we all have darkness inside of us? Me, Mynx, even you Master. Kenji would never let his darkness get out of control on purpose."

"And that's exactly why he failed the exam." Aqua said, standing slowly to her feet. "Against any normal enemy, Kenji would stand tall. I have no doubt that his light would surpass any mere shadow. But when met with a power of equal nature or something stronger than himself, he will inadvertently tap into the darkness, and the more that he comes into contact with it, the deeper that darkness will run through him. The closer he'll get to losing his light."

"But-"

"That's enough!" Aqua shouted, slamming her hands down onto the desk. Both Luna and Mynx jumped slightly as a result. Luna slowly stepped back and aligned herself with Mynx, both students looking into Aqua's stern, narrowed eyes. After seeing that she had their attention, Aqua sighed and looked down to her hands upon the desk. "I nearly lost everything to the darkness once, including myself. I lost my home, my master, and even my friends Terra and Ven. I refuse to lose anything else." She said, closing her eyes. Mynx slowly stepped up to Aqua, taking a minute to get her words together.

"Master Aqua." She started. "It's not that we don't trust your teachings. In fact, they're the reason we both became Masters. It's just…do you think Kenji will really keep down the darkness inside of him like this?" she asked. Aqua looked up, at Mynx, her hands still firmly placed down onto the desk. "You yourself said that even a day of training can make all the difference. That a single day could be the turning point between someone failing the exam, and someone passing it." Mynx looked back at Luna, who slowly took a step forward again. "Well-…" she looked back at Aqua, gulping slightly. "Both Me and Luna arrived more than a day before Kenji did. We've had just that much more time to prepare. Mentally and physically." Aqua widened her eyes. She was right. "So, if we were to honor your words, couldn't you give Kenji another test? Or at least, another day to prepare? To catch up?"

"…" Aqua was lost in silence. She sat back down in the chair behind her desk, sighing softly as she placed her hands back down onto her lap.

"Please, Master Aqua." Luna said softly, staring at her Master. "Give him just one more chance. He can prove himself. You'll see."

"I…" Aqua didn't know what to say. It wasn't as if they were wrong. By her own words, the two of them had a head start, no matter how small, and that may have just been the deciding factor. Although she wanted desperately to deny it, they were right, and she knew it. Aqua gave a small sigh, but slowly nodded her head. "Both of you. You really care for your comrade, don't you?"

"Kenji's more than just our comrade. He's our friend." Luna stated. Mynx nodded her head in agreement, both waiting for their master's words. Aqua took her time, and her breath, before she stood up again.

"I have another test for Kenji."

-The Mysterious Tower; Open Lawn-

Kenji dashed from one end of the field to the other, striking the air with each passing dash. He definitely wasn't fast like Mynx, but he could cover enough ground to get a safe distance should an enemy strike. Upon another dash, Kenji jumped, spinning his body horizontally to the ground, dragging his keyblade behind him before he slammed it into the ground, creating another shockwave of light. Before he could perform any other strikes, He noticed the door to the tower suddenly open. Kenji stood up straight, only to witness his two comrades and master exiting the tower.

"Master Aqua. Luna. Mynx." Kenji exclaimed as his keyblade dissolved into light. Mynx chuckled and placed her hands upon her hips.

"It's Master Mynx now. We worked hard for the title." She said, getting a laugh out of Kenji before he crossed his arms.

"You earned the title. That doesn't mean you earned my respect to call you by it. It was Master Aqua who trained us, not you." He teased back, getting a grunt from Mynx.

"Why you little-!" Mynx had steam leaving her ears, while Luna laughed at the two of them.

"Mynx, we didn't come here to fight Kenji. We came because of something else, remember? I know your memory's not THAT bad, right?" Luna asked, getting in a bit of teasing of her own. Mynx's attention suddenly shot towards Luna, while Kenji laughed a bit harder.

"Who knows? Maybe she took a nasty bow to the head and it scrambled her brain during the exams?" Kenji asked, while both he and Luna laughed. An eventually, Mynx gave a small chuckle herself, shaking her head.

"On a serious note, there is something we came to talk about with you." Mynx stated, before looking to Aqua. Luna did the same, waiting for her to speak. Kenji raised a brow, looking to the two of them before he looked to his master. Aqua herself seemed to be having second thoughts at the last second, but soon opened her mouth to speak.

"Kenji…Your heart shines brightly. I can see it. It's obvious with how well you use your keyblade. And while the darkness does exist in your heart, as it does all of ours, I'm certain you can overcome it. And so…with the convincing of your comrades, I've decided to give you another test. Another chance to become a Keyblade Master."

At these words, Kenji's heart started racing. It was as if the world suddenly slowed down. His eyes widened as he looked over to his two friends, as if to confirm if what Aqua said was true. The two of them looked at each other, then to Kenji, nodding to him with a smile.

"I…another chance? Really?" Kenji asked, as if he had just been told that he had the ability to wield the keyblade, though with want to do so this time. Aqua smiled softly, and nodded to her student.

"Really. I know that you haven't had as much time to prepare as Mynx and Luna. So, I have another test for you. This one will still test your ability to fight the darkness, but this time passively, instead of directly." Kenji tilted his head at this, as did Mynx, while Luna hummed.

"You're talking about using the Lanes Between, aren't you?" Luna asked, making Aqua nod.

"There's a world that I want you to go to. I've unlocked the Lane's Between to allow you to access this world, and it's the only one available other than ours so there's no way you'll miss it." Aqua stated before she showed the three of them something that she held dear. It was a blue star. "On that world, there's a fruit that's shaped like this. You are to retrieve that fruit, and immediately return to our world here."

"And then…then I'll be a Keyblade Master?" Kenji asked, hope rushing through his eyes as he looked to his comrades, then his teacher. With a warm smile, Aqua nodded, looking to her young student.

"That's how it works."

"ALRIGHT!" Before Kenji could go any further, Aqua raised a hand, attempting to get everyone's attention. It took a while for Kenji to calm down, but when he finally did, Aqua could finally speak.

"Before you go, I want to give you three something. Think of it as a present for all your arduous work. I know for a fact that training can be grueling sometimes. But you've all come so far. And I'm proud to see how you've grown." She said before pulling out three more of the metallic stars that she held, each one shined a different color than the last.

"Whoa…" The three students all whispered as Aqua smiled at them. She then tossed the three stars into the air. Aqua extended her hand, letting the young ones know that they should remain where they were standing.

"These are called Wayfinders. Let them choose you." Aqua explained. Kenji, Luna, and Mynx each extended their hands, letting the stars slowly glide down to their palms.

In Luna's hand, a light-pink Wayfinder attached itself, shining with as much radiance as the girl's heart. In Mynx's hand, a bright red Wayfinder rested, burning with the fire that resolved within her heart, and her magic. And in Kenji's hand, a shining silver Wayfinder, that glistened with a warmth that he found…familiar.

As the three continued to stare at their Wayfinders, and eventually stare at the others, Aqua continued to speak. "In the world that you're going to, the star-shaped fruit represents an unbreakable connection. So as long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart. You will always find your way back to each other. An unbreakable connection." She said, repeating the words from her past. It hurt as she remembered her two dearest friends, but she was happy to share any words of wisdom with her pupils.

Upon hearing this, Luna smiled and looked to her friends, holding the Wayfinder to her chest. "She's right. I can tell. Nothing will keep us apart. Not Darkness, nor any trial. We'll always find our way back to ourselves." She said before smiling softly. Mynx and Kenji both nodded to this before Kenji looked to his own Wayfinder. Placing the metallic object in his pocket, Kenji looked to the sky.

"I should get going." He finally said, getting looks from the three women in front of him, while he kept his gaze to the Auroras above. "Can't just sit here while there's a golden chance in front of me, now can I? Besides. If I don't get back soon, Luna and Mynx will be another step ahead of me." He chuckled and looked down to the three of them, nodding his head. "I'll succeed with this test. I swear it. I won't fail you again, Master Aqua!" Kenji said cheerfully. Aqua gave a sad smile, remembering those words as Kenji turned around. And then, Aqua quietly gasped to herself.

As Kenji walked further on the open lawn, Aqua saw a memory of Terra, the two of them walking side by side. Kenji was copying Terra's every move. Or, was it the other way around? Either way, each step they took, each foot that hit the ground first, Aqua watched as they mimicked each other's movements. _'Terra…'_ Aqua thought to herself as she remembered her friend, the memory of Terra first leaving playing into her present-day life. The two men stopped, extending one arm before balling their hand into a fist. Now Aqua was sure, it was Kenji who was copying Terra's movements from so long ago. Not on purpose. It was just his instinct to move in this manner. If only it didn't hurt his master so much. Kenji and Terra then slammed the connecting point of their fists onto the pauldrons that covered their shoulders.

Kenji closed his eyes as the light slowly covered him, while his comrades watched Kenji's slow transformation. When the light had died down, Kenji was now in a large metallic set of armor. Aqua's memory of Terra was no longer there, though Kenji's armor, albeit silver, looked so much like her friend that the pain was still there. Kenji then extended his armored hand, summoning his keyblade before taking a deep breath. He grabbed the keyblade with both hands, before extending it to the sky, a beam of light shooting from the tip of Void Gear, into the Auroras above. When the lights clashed, a vortex of space soon opened, making the three Keyblade Wielders gasp softly in awe.

"Lucky…" Mynx huffed as Luna gave a small smile.

"Be careful, Kenji. Remember, it's the three of us. So, make sure to come back so it can stay that way." Luna said, nodding her head to her armored friend. Kenji looked back to the three waiting a few feet away, and nodded back.

"I won't be away long. I swear it. When I get back, I'll be a Keyblade Master, just like you three." He gave a soft chuckle before suddenly twisting his keyblade. Kenji held it in a reverse grip, before he suddenly tossed it into the air. Taking a deep breath, he watched as the Keyblade was suddenly engulfed in light. Five beams of light suddenly shot out of the area where the keyblade was. One beam of light attached itself to Kenji's back, before the other four attached to the beam itself. When the light died down again, there were four thrusters attached to Kenji's back, all held together by Void Gear's frame. Kenji gave a light jump, the thrusters immediately going into work, a silver aura leaving the openings, keeping Kenji propelled above ground. "You'll see! I won't be long!" Kenji shouted again, before finally taking off into the sky, heading to the open portal. Aqua watched with a worried expression, hoping that she hadn't made a mistake. Soon enough, Kenji faded into the light, while the portal slowly closed itself, returning space to the way it should have been.

"When do you think he'll be back?" Mynx asked, looking over to Luna, who gave a soft shrug.

"Soon. But it's up to him when he wants to come back. When he does though, let's try not to bash on him too hard. 'Kay, Mynx? I'm sure this was a sensitive topic enough as it is for him."

"Hey! I'm not THAT bad!"

"Heh. Yeah, you really are."

As the two continued to joke around, Aqua continued to stare at the spot where the portal was opened. She narrowed her eyes in worry, a part of her drastically hoping that Kenji would turn around and come back. But, she knew that such hope would have no answer. So instead, she looked to the two beside her and smiled. "Let's go inside. You two still have your own activities to do until he gets back." She told them, while both Luna and Mynx nodded.

-The Lane's Between-

Kenji soon entered the Lanes Between, the halls of space that encompassed the worlds, and the strings that held them all together. "Whoa…" Kenji whispered to himself as he flew through the open space, following the Lane beneath him. "This is…everything's so…so open!" Kenji laughed, twirling around a bit, his mobility greatly enhanced thanks to the thrusters on his back. As he continued to enjoy the freedom he had of exploration, Kenji suddenly remembered why he was out here in the first place. "The Test!" He shouted, straightening himself up as he continued to follow the lane.

He looked to the armor that covered his arms, then the rest of his body. "Hah. There's not a crack anywhere. The darkness doesn't have a chance standing against me! If I keep this up, no doubt I'll be a master when I get-…huh?" he said, soon spotting something up a head. "Is that…another world?" he asked himself, spotting what he could only describe as a rather peculiar looking world. "That must be where I'm supposed to go. I wonder what this world's called." He asked himself. Somehow, however, his answer was given mere moments later. He took one good look at the small island mainland of the new world, and instantly knew. "Destiny Islands…" he whispered to himself, flying into the world moments later.

-Destiny Islands-

The sandy beaches of Destiny Islands had never been calmer than they were now. At the moment, there wasn't a person in sight. The waters swayed onto the warm sand that etched itself around the island's outer regions, soaking the lowest parts of the materials surrounding the island. The wind presented itself in slight bursts, strong enough to blow one's hair back, without messing with their clothing. The crisp feeling of salt in the air was matched only by the cool feeling that followed. After a few quick moments, small jolts started to appear in the space above the island sand. The jolts started flowing faster and more violently, until finally another vortex of space was opened. Moments later, Kenji stepped through the vortex, onto the sandy shores of the islands. His armor remained active, clanking softly as he walked through the sand.

As he walked through the island sand, the armor that he wore slowly started to glow, until it was completely covered in light again. When the light died down, Kenji was back in his normal clothing, hands placed firmly to his side as he stopped walking. He looked around the island, his feet planted firmly on the center of the beaches small inlet around the island, humming softly to himself.

"I…I know this place." He said to himself, looking around. Kenji crossed his arms, raising a brow. "Have I…been here before? No, that couldn't be it. So, why do I remember this place? Destiny Islands, right?" He asked no one as his eyes spotted what looked like a large ship on the other end of the island. On the opposite side of the ship's end of the island was what looked like a bridge, which led to a small separated piece of land from the island. It was there that Kenji spotted what he needed.

"That's it!" he said to himself, running towards the bridge. When Kenji had finally crossed the bridge to the smaller island, he climbed one of the trees, picking off the star-shaped fruit that he was sent to get. With a giddy grin, Kenji jumped off the tree, hopping around as he held the strange fruit up to the sky. "I got it! I got it!" Kenji shouted with a laugh, jumping up a bit as he stared up at the fruit. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his Wayfinder to compare the two. As he calmed down, Aqua's words resonated within his mind. "We'll always be connected." He repeated in a whisper, smiling softly to himself as he placed his Wayfinder away, holding the star-shaped fruit he had come for in his hand. "Now. I just gotta get home and get the title of Keyblade Master. I wish the others could have come. It sucks that they have to miss this."

With butterflies in his stomach, Kenji prepared to head back home, placing his Wayfinder back into his pocket, holding his objective high. He began to tread back over the bridge, just taking in the feeling of success that came over him. But just as quickly as that feeling came, it suddenly left. When he was about halfway across the wooden bridge, Kenji felt an odd sensation. Like a ripple through the world around him. "Huh? What the heck?" taking a few seconds to gather himself, the young man turned behind him to see the source of the ripples. In the center of the small island platform where he found the fruit was an opening portal of darkness, one that filled the young man with a mix of curiosity and dread.

When the portal finally opened completely, a figure slowly walked out. One that Kenji had seen before. With a confused look upon his face, the young man looked upon the newcomer, observing everything that he saw. As the figure stepped fully out of the portal, the darkness seemed to shift a bit, as if activating its own sort of gravity to suck in the air around it. When he was certain that he wasn't seeing things, Kenji gritted his teeth, dropping the strange fruit that he had come to retrieve before extending his right hand to the side. Immediately, Void Gear was drawn out as Kenji recalled the name that Aqua used. "Vanitas."

It didn't take long for Kenji to understand that the figure in front of him, Vanitas, wasn't here to discuss any friendly terms. From the way that Aqua reacted, and the fight that they had in Kenji's heart, it was easy to determine that this Vanitas was a threat. Although there was something Kenji noticed about the Vanitas he saw now that was different from the one he saw in his heart. This Vanitas had color, instead of being a simple black and white form. The most distinct color was the red around his waist area. It gave a dreading sense to everything around him.

Kenji got ready for a fight, knowing that one was coming, tightening the grip upon his blade. The young Keyblade Warrior narrowed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he waited for Vanitas to summon his own Keyblade. But to his surprise, the dark shadow of a masked man did nothing. After getting over the shock a bit, Kenji's guard was lowered to a point where his muscles relaxed, but not to the point where Void Gear faded into light again.

"That's your name, right? Vanitas? That's what Master Aqua called you anyway. Why are you following me? What do you want?" as Kenji asked this question, the only response that he got was silence. Not even a gesture or a disdained grunt, which only got the young Keyblade wielder even more angry. Before Kenji lost his cool and decided to strike, however, Vanitas turned to one side, staring out into the sea adjacent to the island he stood upon. He extended his right hand outwards, as Kenji was on his right side, and beckoned for the young man to follow, as if taunting him.

Kenji never got the chance to ask what Vanitas was doing, as the moment his taunting was finished, he rushed back into the portal in front of him. With wide eyes, Kenji threw caution to the wind. "Hey! Get back here and answer me!" he shouted, his Keyblade vanishing as he ran for the portal of darkness. The portal slowly started to close, forcing Kenji to suddenly break into a full sprint, not wanting to miss his most-likely only chance to get anything out of this Vanitas character.

Right before he got to the portal, however, he felt another ripple through space. He turned to where Vanitas had been staring before, seeing the source of the ripple slowly opening. Another portal, but one that was made of light. He didn't have any time to dabble upon it, however, as he couldn't afford to lose Vanitas now. Tossing any thoughts of the portal he had aside, Kenji suddenly jumped into the darkness before him, the void closing itself shortly after his entrance. Right before it closed, he heard someone calling his name on the other side. When the hole in space closed, there was no trace of Kenji there, only the star-shaped fruit that he had come to retrieve.


End file.
